What should be in my emergency food supply?

Preparing for an emergency situation involves a lot of careful consideration. You might need to make sure you have access to the right supplies in terms of fuel, clothing and medical equipment. But what should you consider when it comes to putting together your emergency food supplies?

The amount

You need to think about the situations that you might find yourself in. For example, do you live in a remote area, perhaps on a farm, that runs the risk of being cut off by the elements, either through flooding or how ice and snow impact access to the area.

How long does it tend to take for these problems to resolve themselves? You need to make sure that, if you’re trapped, you have enough food stored to outlast whatever situation you’re facing.

Consider how many people you need to feed, their dietary requirements and the length of time you need to provide food for. These are the key things to consider when working out the quantity of food you need to store.

Meals, ingredients or both?

Once you know the quantity, you need to work out exactly what you need to store. Do you want to opt for ready-made meals, or would you rather look at individual freeze-dried ingredients for cooking your own food? There are a number of items you could consider for a food supply:

Powdered milk

Powdered egg

Freeze-dried fruit and veg

Dehydrated meals

Freeze-dried meat

Water

Dried goods such as pasta and rice

Tinned foods

You could also opt for a mix of both ready-made meals and individual ingredients, giving you a number of options. Variety is important, as it helps to change things up in your meals and avoid a sense of monotony.

You could look at freeze-dried versions of family favourites, or just a range of interesting meals. It’s worth trying meals, such as buying a single portion before investing in a larger quantity. This way you don’t end up stockpiling something you don’t like or would be reluctant to eat.

Shelf life

Your emergency food supply needs to last. Based on the conditions you’re expecting to deal with, you need to ensure your food won’t rot or spoil in the time it takes a situation to resolve.

Freeze-dried and dehydrated meals are perfect for long term stores as they tend to have shelf-lives that run for several years. Tinned food is also a good option, but keep in mind the shelf life for things such as soups, beans and tuna will be significantly shorter than a normal freeze-dried meal.

If stored in the right conditions and kept free from moisture, you can actually store meals for decades at a time. This is perfect for ensuring you have long term access to a supply of food and don’t need to constantly replace items as they go off.

Preparation

In an emergency, you might find that you don’t have access to power or most of the modern conveniences that you might normally rely on.

To counteract this, you should look for food options that are simple to prepare and rely less on modern means to make. Focus on things that simply need to be reheated, as a fire can be made relatively simply, or you could stockpile fuel for a camping stove which could be used in the event that a kitchen wasn’t accessible or useful.

Aside from reheating, consider meals that simply need boiling water added to them. As again this can make use of a fire, you just need to make sure your water source is clean, or you’ve purified the water you use first. If your food supply is predominantly dehydrated or freeze-dried, access to water is something you’ll need to keep in mind when putting your supplies together.

The more quickly and simply you can prepare food, the better. Having an idea of what you will and won’t be able to access or use in any given situation can help you to plan for that eventuality and ensure that regardless of whatever is thrown at you, you still have access to food.

How can we help you to prepare for any situation?

Finding the right supplies to help you stay prepared for any situation often requires a lot of research and consideration of what your specific needs are likely to be.

At Fuel Your Preparation, we provide a range of freeze-dried meals which can help ensure you have access to nutritious, tasty meals in any situation. Our breakfasts, mains and desserts are:

Freeze-dried to create a product with a lengthy shelf life. Each pouch lasts for 7 years, while tins last for 25

Easy to prepare – simply add water and wait for the meal to rehydrate

Expertly cooked prior to being freeze-dried, ensuring they taste fantastic

Nutritious – bursting with the carbohydrates and protein you need to feel warm and full

Whether you need to stockpile food in the event of extreme weather, want a small supply to help you comfortably ride out a power cut or want a stockpile that you can rely on in inhospitable, isolated conditions, our meals provide a fantastic way to ensure you always have access to a delicious feast.

To find out more about our range of freeze-dried survival foods, take a look at our meals page or contact us to speak to a member of our team.